Brian Amos is certainly right about one thing: Public education in this country is in shambles and is slipping even further year after year. However, in staying with general conservative folly, he attributes the cause of this to “big government” and the always-ambiguous threat of secular education. At least he makes no attempt to hide his intellectual provincialism, decrying even an an honest conversation about socialism.
I think millions of people suffering through the crushing poverty they experience in their capitalist nations would recognize the shortcomings he listed, although they might place medicine before televisions.
As far as the value of homeschooling, it’s easy to forget how often this system is used simply to indoctrinate children into an anti-science, creationist ideology that churns out conservative voters.
The solution to our public education woes is as simple as it has always been: fund the schools. The money is available; it’s just poorly distributed too often to wasteful private interests.
But Mr. Amos seems to think the opposite approach would work. He reminds me of Michael Behe, who received a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, only to spend his career embarrassing his alma mater with his “intelligent design” quackery. In fact, the two would probably get along.
Editor's note: This letter refers to this column.
